Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner feels Italian fans are yet to fully embrace Kimi Antonelli, suggesting the nation’s traditional focus on Ferrari is currently overshadowing the 19-year-old’s achievements.
Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast following Antonelli’s sixth victory of the season at Spa-Francorchamps, Steiner shared his view on the dynamic within the Italian motorsport fanbase.
“I spoke with a few Italian journalists in Spa about this because I get the same feeling—he doesn’t get the credit he deserves somehow,” Steiner argued.
Steiner drew a parallel with Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner.
“In Italy, you’ve now got two very good sportsmen,” Steiner noted. “Jannik Sinner in tennis, who is just walking away [with it], and then you’ve got Kimi Antonelli. But Kimi doesn’t get the same credit as Jannik Sinner, and I find that one weird, to say the least.
“It has to do with Ferrari being seen as the Italian team, the national team. More people still need to get used to the fact that there is an Italian F1 driver, who is actually world-class, and not only a team, because there wasn’t one for a very, very long time.”
Despite the perceived slow uptake, Steiner remains optimistic that Antonelli’s Italian fanbase will increase.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
“He deserves more, and I think there is now a growing awareness [that] this guy is actually special,” he added.
“We need to pay more attention to him and maybe let Ferrari go a little bit.”
When asked if it needed to be one or the other, Steiner clarified: “Maybe just do not put all your eggs in that basket: Ferrari. There is somebody out there who you can cheer on. He deserves more than he gets at the moment in Italy.”
Antonelli has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 season to date. While his Mercedes team-mate George Russell went into the season as a clear favourite, the Italian driver took the lead in the standings after back-to-back wins in China and Japan.
He then went on to claim victories in Miami, Canada, Monaco and Belgium. He currently leads the drivers’ championship with 204 points, 45 points clear of Lewis Hamilton in second place.
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